5 comments:

I need to get back to reading it. Been on my mind. Good to hear Crazy Dad's writing is getting recognition. Maybe his stories can help someone someday. I've had close friends affected with mental illness too. Good night for now.

My sister has schizoaffective disorder and it is a truly awful disease. It's unreal all the things she has done. And right now, she's in another crisis mode worse than any other (each time, they get worse). It's like she's been "gone" for awhile now, but what makes it hard is unlike a death, there is no grieving and healing period... it just goes on and gets worse. It's gotten to the point where, finally, after like 10 years of this, the whole family has started to finally isolate a bit from her to protect our own sanity and well-being. The whole situation is just really messed up. Sadly, I don't think she'll be around much longer.

Again, thanks for mentioning this important issue, and AS's article... I love him and will have to read it.

Anyway, thanks for covering this. Mental disease can be as serious as any other physical disease.

Dear Anna and Anon 8:19,Anna, you are a treasure. And one night we will actually chat on the phone! Love to you, and Ava, and your hubby!

Anon 8:19,I'm very sorry about your sister. You're right. It's hard to grieve, because the person is still alive, but she's not the person you know. And I'm sorry her illness has gotten to the point that, for your family's own health and sanity, you need to distance yourself. I know other families in that circumstance.

Thanks for sharing your own story, which is also doing a valuable service in letting people know about how devastating these illnesses can be.

Thanks for your nice comments. From this and other interactions (and by your posts of course), I can tell you're a very empathetic and compassionate person.

Also, thought I'd mention your link to Andrew Sullivan's post needs to be fixed. It should be: http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/06/enemies-inside.html , but you have part of it repeated twice in the URL.